Grogan Column On Garbage, Editorial At Odds

May 29, 1998

I always believed that a newspaper's editorials and columns were consistent. I was recently surprised that this policy is not universal. In a column by John Grogan on March 29, he commented on the decision by Waste Management, the trash moguls of Broward County. It had negotiated with Collier County to pick up Naples' choice leavings, 120 miles distant. There is nothing regional in these leavings; they are still garbage. This is not the first time that Waste Management has gone far afield to collect garbage, etc. H. Wayne Huizenga is noted for his business acumen, from sports teams to auto dealerships and trash collection, etc.

What annoys me is that your editorial on April 14 takes a stand opposite to Grogan's opinion about the Naples' deal. The editorial's high-falutin' position asserts that Waste Management's stand is proper because its action in taking garbage, regardless of its source, is beneficial to the region. I say it's pure undiluted garbage, regardless of its source. Naples' garbage is still garbage and not a regional benefit.